Life

John Jillions was born in Montreal, Canada in 1955, and baptized at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Montreal. In 1963, he moved with his family to the United States of America. After attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada, from 1973 to 1977, John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

After marrying his wife, Denise Melligon, in 1979, John was ordained a deacon in 1981 and then a priest in 1984. Fr. John then received a missionary assignment of three years to Brisbane, Australia. After returning to the United States, Fr. John was assigned as priest at Holy Trinity Church in Rahway, New Jersey, a position he held until 1994.

In August 1994, he moved with his family to Greece where he attended the University of Thessalonica and began his studies toward a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the New Testament. The following year, Fr. John and his family moved to Cambridge, England, to continue his research. While at Cambridge, Fr. John and his wife took part in the establishment of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in 1997, of which Fr. John was a director and its first Principal from 1999 until 2002.

Returning to North America, Fr. John was assigned dean of Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa and the Ontario Deanery. In addition to his clerical duties, Fr. John has continued an active theological life in academia. He completed his studies and in 2002 received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in New Testament from Aristotle University of Thessalonica in Greece (dissertation: Divine Guidance in Corinth: Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Pauline Views) and a Doctor of Ministry from St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary.

Fr. John has been an Associate Professor at the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at St. Paul University in Ottawa since 2003[[1]]. Additionally, he has lectured at the Ottawa Lay School of Theology and the University of Sherbrooke program in Orthodox Theology. He is also a member of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of the University of Ottawa.

Fr. John is currently attached to Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa.